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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23174224">Love Abroad</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erosanderis/pseuds/Erosanderis'>Erosanderis</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - High School, Bisexual Steve Rogers, First Date, Fluff, Gay Bucky Barnes, Getting Together, Irish Steve Rogers, M/M, Natasha Is a Good Bro, Peggy is a good bro, Pining, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Russian Bucky Barnes, SO MUCH FLUFF, sam is a good bro</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:42:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,890</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23174224</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erosanderis/pseuds/Erosanderis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve Rogers moved from Ireland to New York his senior year of high school. His goal was to coast through until graduation. At least, until he isn’t the only new kid at school this year.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>124</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Love Abroad</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi! <br/>This fic was supposed to only be around 4K but I just couldn’t stop writing! I hope you like it as much as I did while writing it. Also, thank you to my friend PJ who gave me this prompt! And Erica for coming up with a title. <br/>Enjoy! </p><p>Find me on tumblr @erosanderis</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>To say he was nervous was an understatement. He was fucking terrified, not that he would ever admit that to anyone. As far as the world was concerned, nothing scared Steve Rogers. He might have been 5’3” and 100 lbs soaking wet, but he was a spitfire. Before his family moved, Steve has gotten in trouble numerous times for starting fights. He never hesitated to stand up to bullies. They never scared him, but this did. </p><p>He was starting a new high school as a senior. Not only was he starting a new school so late, but he was in an entirely new country. Before moving to Brooklyn a month ago, Steve had grown up in Dublin, Ireland.  Now he had to navigate a new country as well as a new school where everyone had known each other for years. Steve had seen many movies that take place in American high schools. While he knew they were exaggerated for entertainment purposes, they clearly had to be based in some truth. </p><p>So yeah, Steve was terrified. He was short, skinny, asthmatic, had an accent, and very openly bisexual. He knew some Hollywood writer would use him as the inspiration for a severely bullied new kid. He ticked off every box for a stereotypical victim of bullying. As long as you ignored his personality. </p><p>As he got ready for his first day, he kept trying to reassure himself that everything was going to be fine. It was only for a year. He didn’t need to make new friends at this school. He had his best friend from back home, Peggy Carter, if he needed to talk to someone who wasn’t his mom. He also knew that Peggy was coming to New York in the winter to visit family. All he had to do was lay low and pass all of his classes. Then he could go off to Uni and everything would be fine. </p><p>When he got to his new school, he went to the principal's office as he was previously instructed to do. He was told that he would meet the student who would be his guide to the school. He was also told that he and his guide were in all the same classes. Steve hoped that his guide would be nice, but anticipated the worst. </p><p>When he walked into the office, the first person he saw was a tiny, red-headed girl who was playing on her phone. She was about the same height as him, but she gave off a don’t-fuck-with-me vibe so strong that Steve was scared to introduce himself. He figured she must be his guide. </p><p>“Good morning,” he said softly while offering his hand to her. “I’m Steve. I assume you are the one who will be my guide around the school.”</p><p>She looked up at him and his offered hand. She arched one of her perfectly sculpted eyebrows at him, causing him to blush and put his hand back down at his side. She looked at him for a few more uncomfortable seconds. </p><p>“You assume wrong,” she stated, and then went back to whatever she was doing on her phone. </p><p>Before Steve had a second to think about how to respond to that, the door to the office opened. Steve’s breath caught in his throat when he saw who walked through the door. The guy was absolutely beautiful. He was tall and lean. His long chestnut brown hair was pulled back into a bun. A few pieces had escaped and were framing his sharp jaw. His eyes were the most beautiful shade of blue that Steve had ever seen. All Steve could think about was getting home and trying to mix the right combination of blues to imitate the color. He imagined how his jawline would look if he drew it with charcoal. He wanted to ask the stranger to pose for him, but he also wanted to draw him without him knowing. No posing, but his natural beauty unobstructed by the knowledge of being watched. </p><p>If he was Steve’s guide, he was royally fucked. </p><p>Thankfully, he was saved by the scary red-head. </p><p>“Яша?” She asked. </p><p>“Да.”</p><p>“Я Наталья. Я покажу тебе школу.”</p><p>“Спасибо.” </p><p>The only things Steve got out of their interaction was that the guys was not his guide, clearly English was not his strong suit, and that the scary red-head was named Natalia. </p><p>Steve stared at the pair in confusion. He was obviously not the only new student this year. Thankfully for the other guy, his guide spoke Russian. Steve, on the other hand, was still guideless. </p><p>As if on cue, the door to the office opened again. In walked a balding older man, Steve assumed to be principal Coulson, and a young man that Steve was hoping was his guide. </p><p>“Ah, you two must be Steven and Yakov,” the older man said. “I’m principal Coulson.” </p><p>Before he was able to introduce himself, the other new guy, Yakov apparently, spoke up. </p><p>“James, please,” he said in heavily accented English. </p><p>“James it is,” principal Coulson said with a small smile. He then turned to Natalia. “Miss Romanov, would you mind informing the teachers of this when you get to your classes?”</p><p>“Of  course,” she agreed. </p><p>“Steven, do you have any preferred nickname?” </p><p>“Yes sir, I go by Steve.” </p><p>“Alrighty Steve, is like you to meet your guide Sam Wilson.”</p><p>“Nice to meet you man,” Sam said excitedly. “I bet transferring to a new school must be awful, so anything I can do to make it a little easier on you, let me know.”</p><p>“I will,” Steve replied. </p><p>After basic introductions, Coulson went over the basics with the four of them. He also gave Steve and James print copies of their schedules in case they needed them. Once he finished, he dismissed the students to go find their lockers and go on with their first day. When they left the room, Steve and Sam took a left, while Natasha and James took a right. </p><p>“So Steve, tell me about yourself. I mean something aside from the basic name, age, and where you are from. I’ve already figured those out.” </p><p>“How do you know where I’m from?” Steve teased. “I could be from Michigan, but you wouldn’t know because you made assumptions based on my accent.”</p><p>“Well, Coulson told me I’d be working with the new kid from Ireland so I know that’s a lie. But I am glad that I learned you are a little shit so quickly. That means we will get along well.” </p><p>Steve and Sam continued to talk amicably, learning more basic things about each other. There were things, like his history of fighting and sexuality, that he kept from Sam for now. He had learned in the past that even if someone seems accepting, they might not be. He wasn’t going to risk alienating his only friend so soon. </p><p>The day went by quickly. He and Sam traveled from class to class together. Sam advised him on what not to do with certain teachers. He warned him about which kids were not the best to hang around. At lunch, Steve sat with Sam and his friends. They were an interesting bunch. </p><p>There was Clint Barton, who Steve had seen manage to injure himself three times during the lunch period alone. He gave off a class clown vibe.  </p><p>Next in the group was Scott Lang. Scott seemed like a good guy. Very talkative and excitable, but still seemed like a good friend to have. </p><p>Then there were the twins, Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Steve learned that they were from Sokovia, but had moved when they were three due to the war that broke out there. </p><p>Last, and certainly not least, was Tony Stark. Stark had made it abundantly clear that he was the smartest person in the school. He was an egotistical asshole, but for some reason Steve found himself liking the guy. </p><p>They seemed like a good group of people. Steve understood why Sam hung around with them. </p><p>Steve also made note of Natasha and James on the other side of the lunch room. They were sat at a table with only one other person. When he asked about Natasha and the other guy, Clint’s smile dropped for a second. His smile came back so quickly that Steve thought he made it up. </p><p>“That would be Bruce Banner. He’s super quiet and keeps to himself. He’s also Natalia’s boyfriend. Before the other new kid came, it was always just the two of them at that table.”</p><p>It wasn’t until after lunch ended that Sam told him he was right. Apparently Clint has had a crush on Natasha since middle school and was heartbroken when she started dating Bruce. Steve made a mental note to avoid bringing them up again around Clint.  </p><p>The rest of the day was uneventful. As soon as the last bell rang, he and Sam exchanged phone numbers before parting ways.  </p><p>When Steve finally got home, he texted Peggy to see if she was available to skype. Thankfully she was, and within a few minutes he was regaling the tale of his first day in an American school to his best friend. </p><p>“So, tell me more about this hot Russian guy,” Peggy demanded. </p><p>“Honestly Pegs, there isn’t much for me to tell you. All I know is that his name is James and that he’s hot. You know all of the things that I do. I can’t elaborate if I don’t know more.” </p><p>“Fine, but if you learn any more about this boy I demand you tell me immediately.” </p><p>“I will text you the second I learn anything. So now, tell me how things are at home.”</p><p>The two talked for another hour or so, until Peggy had to log off and go to sleep. They hung up with the promise to at least text tomorrow.</p><p>————</p><p>The next few weeks of school went by quickly. He did his homework, wrote his papers, and hung out with his new group of friends. Much to the joy of his mother and Peggy, he had yet to get into a fight. If there was someone he didn’t like, he just avoided them. He didn’t want to have the school call his mom because he got into another fight and his nose was broken, again. </p><p>Naturally, his good streak had to come to an end. In late October he was walking home from school when he heard grunting coming from an alley. He figured someone was either having sex or getting beaten up. Either way, he assumed his presence would be unwelcome. That thought did nothing to deter him. He walked into the alley and saw one of the guys he went to school with (Brad? Brick? Brock?) kicking someone on the ground. As he got closer, he realized that the person being kicked was James. </p><p>“What the hell do you think you're doing?” Steve shouted at Brock, bracing himself for a fight. </p><p>“None of your fucking business,” Brock snarled back at him. </p><p>“It might not be my business, but I don’t take too kindly to people bullying others. So I suggest you knock it off before I make you.”</p><p>“Oh yeah,” Brock laughed, “what’s a little twerp like you going to do?”</p><p>Instead of answering verbally, Steve stalked over to where Brock was standing over James and punched him square in the jaw. </p><p>Clearly, this was not the smartest course of action. Once the initial shock of the hit wore off, Brock did not hesitate to punch back. Steve managed to get a few good hits in, but he still ended up on the ground next to James. </p><p>Brock seemed to get bored of the fight at that point. Once Steve was on the ground, Brock gave him a kick in the stomach before he decided to walk away. </p><p>Steve, who was somehow in better condition than James, helped the other to his feet. </p><p>“I only live about a block from here,” Steve said as he started walking James towards his apartment, “and my mom’s a nurse. She can patch us up.”</p><p>James just nodded in response and limped alongside Steve to his apartment. </p><p>“Steven is that you?” His mother, Sarah, asked when he opened the door.</p><p>“Yeah, and I brought a friend. And I have some good news. I didn’t start the fight.”</p><p>“What do you mean you didn’t-” Sarah cut herself off when she saw the boys. They were both bruised and bloody, the unfamiliar one more so than her own son. </p><p>She helped Steve get James into the bathroom so that she could better assess the damage. James had a black eye, a few cute on his face, and some bruising on his chest. Sarah determined that nothing was broken or in need of stitches. Steve had a few scrapes on his arms and a bruise on his jaw. </p><p>“At least whoever did this saved me from having to fix another broken nose,” Sarah joked. James just looked at her inquisitively. “Sweetheart, is there someone I can call to come get you?”</p><p>“I can call my mom,” he told her. </p><p>James pulled his phone out of his pocket and made the call. He and his mom went back and forth in Russian. The only English he spoke was when he asked Steve what his address was and then relayed it to her. Once he hung up, Steve led him to the living room where they sat on the couch in silence. </p><p>Sarah brought them to steaming mugs after a few minutes. </p><p>“I hope you like hot chocolate,” she said to James. “I even put marshmallows in it for you boys. I think you deserve them after the day you’ve had.”</p><p>“Thank you miss,” James said as he took the offered mug from her. “I have not had it since I was little.”</p><p>“I hope it’s as good as you remember. Did you call someone to get you?”</p><p>“Da, um, yes. I called my mama to come and get me. We don’t live far. She will be here soon,” he told her as he took a sip of his drink. “The hot chocolate is delicious.” </p><p>“I’m glad you like it. I’ll leave you two. Let me know if you need anything.”</p><p>“Yes mom,” Steve answered at the same time janes said “Thank you.” </p><p>The two drank their hot chocolate in silence for a few minutes, until Steve decided to break it. </p><p>“What happened with you and Brock, if you don't mind me asking? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. Just tell me to fuck off if I push too far.”</p><p>“You did not push too far. Natasha and I were talking about her crush and she asked me if there was a girl I liked. I told her I was gay, and I guess Brock heard me say that. I guess he did not like that, because he called me bad names. I thought America was better than Russia with that. That’s why my family moved here.” </p><p>Steve, along with the answer to the one question he asked, had many more questions that he wanted to ask James. He wanted to delve deeper into why his sexuality influenced why his family moved to America, but he didn’t have a chance. Before he had a chance to say anything, there was a knock on the door. </p><p>When Sarah opened it, a brunet woman rushed into the house and went over to James. She put her hands on his face while speaking to him in rapid fire Russian. James nodded and spoke when he could, but the woman did most of the talking. By the time she was done talking and looking him over, she had tears in her eyes. She looked over at Steve and Sarah. </p><p>“Thank you for helping my son. It means a lot to me,” she said, her lack of an accent visibly shocking both Steve and Sarah. “I’m sorry for being so rude earlier. I’m Winnifred Barnes.” She stood up and offered her right hand to Sarah, her left never leaving her son.</p><p>“Sarah Rogers. I wish we were meeting under better circumstances.”</p><p>“Likewise. I should probably get him home. Thank you so much for patching him up for me and for helping him.”</p><p>“I would have wanted someone to do the same for me,” Steve told her with a genuine smile. </p><p>Winnifred and James said their goodbyes and made their exit. Sarah and Steve went through the motions of making and eating dinner, but Steve was lost in thought about James’s past. Sarah let him.</p><p>The next day at school, everybody asks him about what happened. He spends the first half of the day doing his best to evade their questions. He succeeds up until lunch. </p><p>His whole friend group is sitting at their table when Natasha walks over to him. She ignores the questioning looks of everyone at the table. She leans down and presses a kiss to his cheek. She mombled ‘thank you’ so low that he doubted anyone else heard. He was confused about what she meant until he looked up at her table and saw James blushing. </p><p>Everyone stared at Steve in silence. Either no one wanted to break the silence, or none of them knew what to say. Eventually, it’s Clint that broke the silence. </p><p>“What. The. Fuck.” He asked, clearly not happy that his crush of 6 yea he’s just kissed his new friend on the cheek. </p><p>“I was walking home yesterday when I heard a fight in an alley. James was getting beat up. I stepped in to help. He came back to my apartment so that my mom could clean us both up. She was just thanking me for helping her friend. Nothing more. I promise,” Steve explained. </p><p>The group tried to get more out of him, but Steve refused to discuss the fight any more for the rest of the day. What happened was between him and James. Yes, James clearly told Natalia, but Steve felt like he didn't have the right to share more about it without consulting James. </p><p>The rest of the school day dragged on. Sam continued to try and weasel information out of him, but Steve wouldn’t give in. </p><p>When the last bell rang Steve made his escape to go locker. When he got there, he was shocked to see James standing in front of it. He hadn’t realized James knew which locker was his. </p><p>“Do you have any plans?” James asked. </p><p>“Like right now?” Steve waited for James to nod his head before answering. “No. I was just going to go home and start on my homework. Why?”</p><p>“I was hoping I could take you to get a cup of coffee to say thank you for yesterday. If you wanted to go with me. I understand if you don’t want to be seen with me.” </p><p>“I’d love to,” Steve answered before James could backtrack even more. “Coffee sounds great. My friends showed me this cute cafe about a block and a half away, unless you already had somewhere in mind.” </p><p>“Lead the way.”</p><p>Steve and James walked to the cafe in an awkward silence. Thankfully it only took a few minutes for them to get there. </p><p>“What do you want?” James asked. “I’ll go order and you can get us a table.” </p><p>“A vanilla latte please.” </p><p>James nodded and went to go stand in line. Steve found a table in the back corner for the two of them. While he waited for James to return with their coffees, he texted his mom to let her know he would be home later than usual. </p><p>A coffee cup was placed down in front of him, and he looked up to see James give him a little half smile. James sat down across from Steve and they drank their coffees. </p><p>“I was attacked by some of my classmates,” James said with no prompting, causing Steve to choke on his coffee. “I told someone who I thought was my friend that I was gay. I thought I would be safe to tell him, but I was wrong. He told some other boys in our class. One day after school, they ganged up on me and started beating me. I ended up in the hospital for three weeks. I still have trouble with my left arm. I’m sure that half of it is the metal they used to try and put it back together. That’s why we moved to America.”</p><p>“My dad left us. He met a woman who is about five years older than me and ran off with her. My mom and I struggled for a few months to get over it, but it was too hard to stay in the same house. She applied for a job as a nurse in New York and somehow got it. But if we are competing, you’ve got me beat by a lot.” </p><p>“I wasn’t trying to compete, but I feel like you knew that. I just wanted you to know what happened, why my mom seemed so concerned when she came to get me, and why Tasha kissed you today.” </p><p>“I appreciate you telling me. I had some problems when I came out too, but never to that extent. I’m sorry that you had to go through that. I did figure that the kiss had something to do with helping you. I’m glad she cares about you enough to do that, even if I was almost murdered by Clint.” Steve’s eyes widened when he realized the implications of what he just said. “Shit, pretend I didn’t say anything. I know Natasha is dating Bruce so just ignore me.”</p><p>“Firstly, she prefers to be called Tasha. Secondly, I won’t say a thing.”</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>“Now it’s my turn to push you a little though. You said things weren’t that bad when you came out. Am I allowed to ask for more detail?”</p><p>“Sure. I’m bisexual, but I do lean more towards men. My hometown is very Catholic so there were people who took issue with it. Sometimes I would get beat up, but that happened well before I came out. My mom was very okay with it, but dad never found out. There really isn’t too much else to say on the topic.” </p><p>“Well, it’s nice to know I’m not the only non heterosexual person in the school.”</p><p>After that, the conversation flowed easily between the pair. They talked about their more positive experiences growing up in different countries, and what things were similar and different in America. They talked about how school was going, their plans for once they finished. They talked as if they were old friends catching up after years apart. Steve was amazing at how comfortable he felt around James. </p><p>Eventually, they both decided it was time or head out. They had homework to complete and dinner to eat. They exchange phone numbers with the promise to text the other when they got home safely. Even after that initial text, they kept talking late into the night. When they finally said goodnight, Steve fell asleep with a smile on his lips. </p><p>The next morning, Steve managed to sleep through his alarm. It wasn’t the first time it’s happened to him, but it had been a while. Sarah has to come in and wake him up so that he would make it to school on time. When Sam asked him why he looked so tired, he told him that he couldn’t fall asleep. The small smile on his face when he said that was enough to make Sam question him, but the bell for first period had rung and class was starting. </p><p>By lunch, Sam was pestering him in the same way he was the day before. Sam was about to say something to the group, when he stopped abruptly. Steve looked up to see James,Tasha , and Bruce standing next to their table. </p><p>“Would it be alright if we sat with you?” James asked Steve shyly. </p><p>“I don’t see why not,” Steve said as he scooted over to make room for the trio. </p><p>Instead of sitting together like everyone seemed to expect, the three split up. James sat next to Steve, Bruce sat next to Tony, and Tasha sat next to a very surprised Clint. </p><p>“So Steve,” Tasha began, “Yasha won’t tell me how your coffee date after school yesterday went. Do you have any input on the subject?” </p><p>“Coffee date?” Sam asked Tasha with a smirk. “That would explain why Steve was smiling so much this morning even though he looked like he had hardly slept.” </p><p>Steve knew he was blushing. Part of him wanted to see if James was blushing too, but he was too scared to look up. </p><p>“Aw, would you look at that,” Tony teased, “they’re both blushing. I get the feeling that they both enjoyed their little date.” </p><p>“Tony,” Sam chastised. </p><p>“It wasn’t a date, Natalia. It was two friends getting coffee together after one saved the other from getting beaten up,” James snapped.</p><p>Steve tried to hide his disappointment at what James had said. While he wouldn’t say that he had a crush on him, Steve was still shocked with the speed and vehemence that was used in denying the claim of it being a date. </p><p>The rest of the school day past in s blur. He didn’t understand why he was so affected by the way James reacted. He knew he needed to talk it out with someone, so he texted Peggy under his desk to see if she could skype when he got home. She quickly agreed, giving Steve something else to focus on for the rest of the day. </p><p>When he got home from school he quickly greeted his mother before running to his room. He texted Peggy that he was home and booting up his computer. By the time he logged on, he saw that Peggy was active and pressed call. </p><p>“Hey Pegs,” Steve greeted. </p><p>“Hello Steve. I assume this urgent and important conversation has something to with why you look like you haven’t slept in days. And the bruise on your face.” </p><p>“Love you too.”</p><p>“Steve.”</p><p>“Sorry, I’m just really confused right now. Remember the hot Russian guy?”</p><p>“The one who’s name does not at all sound Russian? Sounds familiar.”</p><p>“So, I went a few weeks without interacting with him at all. Then two days ago, when I was walking home from school, I heard something in an alley. I went back and saw James getting beaten up. I stepped in to help him, and then brought him back home for mom to patch us up. The next day he asked me to go get coffee as a thank you for helping him. We had a great time together. I learned why he moved here and I told him why I moved here. Within the first five minutes he knew what happened with my dad. It felt like we had some sort of connection. We ended up staying up really late texting. Then today at lunch his friend Natasha called it a ‘coffee date.’ Then Tony started teasing us and James snapped that it wasn't a date. Ever since then I felt a little off.”</p><p>“Firstly, I’m shocked you managed to go so long without getting into a fight. America is good for you. Secondly, have you considered that you might have developed feelings for James in this short time? You said you felt a strong connection, so I know I’m not totally making this up.”</p><p>“I think you’re right. I don’t like it, but I think you are. I don’t want to have feelings for him. All I wanted to do was get through the year with no drama. I just wanted to get through quickly and then go off to Uni. I did not want to even think about dating.”</p><p>“You don’t choose when you fall.” </p><p>“You do if you jump out of a plane. Now that I’ve gotten all of that off my chest, can we talk about something else. Maybe your visit in December?”</p><p>With that, the pair launched into planning their visit until it was time for Peggy to head off to bed. </p><p>Steve spent the remainder of the night doing his school work and trying to avoid thinking about his conversation with Peggy. He didn’t earn to have a crush on James, but she was right. He couldn’t change the way he felt, but he could sure as hell ignore it and pray it went away. He decided that that was the best course of action in this situation. </p><p>———-</p><p>“Steve?” Shouted a familiar British accent over the bustle of the cafe he was currently in. </p><p>He looked over it to see none other than Peggy Carter standing by the door. </p><p>“Peggy!” He shouted as he ran over to hug the girl. </p><p>Peggy, being Peggy, lifted him off the ground and spun him around. He wanted to scowl and tell her to put him down, but he was too happy to care at the moment. </p><p>“You weren’t supposed to be here until next weekend!”</p><p>“Well apparently Sharon is having trouble with maths and history, so Aunt Amanda asked if I could come and tutor her for her finals. I went over to yours, but Sarah said that you and your group of friends came here every Friday after school.”</p><p>“I mean, it’s only gone on for the last month or so, but yeah we are trying to make a habit out of it. Speaking of them, let's introduce you to them,” Steve said, grabbing Peggy’s hand to drag her to the table his friends were currently occupying. </p><p>When they approached the table nine pairs of eyes were looking at them, each expressing something different. </p><p>“Everybody, this is my best friend from back home Peggy Carter. Pegs, this is Sam, Clint, Scott, Wanda, Pietro, Tony, Bruce, Tasha, and James,” he told her, pointing to each person as he said their name. </p><p>“It’s great to meet you Peggy,” Sam said amicably. “We’ve heard a lot about you.”</p><p>“Likewise,” she replied with a smile. </p><p>“Wait, why does she get to pick you up and twirl you around?” Tony asked. “I wanna pick you up and twirl you around, but I’m scared you will turn into an angry chihuahua if I even tried. Plus isn’t the guy supposed to do that to the girl?”</p><p>“Firstly, fuck you and your gender stereotypes. Secondly, I do it as a reminder that if he ever tries to start a fight I can pick him up and drag him away from it with little effort. Someone has to stop this moron from getting himself killed.” </p><p>“But Pegs, I've been good since I moved here. I only got into one fight.I didn’t even start it. And, my nose wasn’t broken, so I count that as a win.”</p><p>“How is he still alive?” Tony mused. </p><p>“To spite those who don’t think I should be,” Steve answered, effectively ending the conversation.</p><p>The group stayed and chatted for a little while longer before deciding to break up for the evening. Everyone made their way home, except for Peggy who was heading back to Steve’s. </p><p>After they had been walking in comfortable silence for a few minutes, Peggy started to talk. </p><p>“He was giving me murder eyes the whole time.”</p><p>“Who?” </p><p>“Your boyfriend.”</p><p>“Fuck off Pegs, he’s not my boyfriend.”</p><p>“Yet the second we walked over he was glaring daggers at our hands.”</p><p>“I doubt that. He always stays far away from me whenever we get together as a group. He also avoids talking to me.”</p><p>“Like you did when you had a crush on that exchange student Bobby Drake?”</p><p>“Please don’t remind me. And can we please stop talking about James? The less I think about him, the less likely I am to get my heart broken.”</p><p>“Alright, but promise me this. Next time I’m out with you and your friends, look at how James reacts to us.”</p><p>“Sure thing.”</p><p>The next weekend, Steve and some of his friends decided to go see some action film. Steve was sure it was part of a series, but he didn’t think he had seen any of the previous films. He went anyway though, bringing Peggy along with him. </p><p>Once they all had their tickets and refreshments, they headed into their theater. Natasha claimed that she needed to have the aisle seat, claiming discomfort being trapped by other people. Clint immediately jumped on the chance to sit next to her, no doubt planning on pulling some moves on her. Tony plopped down next to Clint, pulling Bruce down on his other side. Peggy sat down next to Bruce. Before Steve had the chance to sit next to Peggy, Sam swooped in and sat next to her. This left only Steve and James left. They had to sit next to each other. It would be the most they had interacted since they coffee not-date. Accepting his fate, Steve sat down next to Sam, allowing James to sit on his left. </p><p>“I’m sorry you got separated from your girlfriend,” James said next to him. </p><p>“Hm, oh Peggy isn’t my girlfriend. We’ve been best friends since primary school. She’s practically my sister.” </p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>Before Steve can respond, James pulls out his phone. Steve awkwardly waits for him to put it away so they can resume talking. When he doesn’t, Steve joins in on the conversation that Sam and Peggy were having until the movie began. </p><p>It isn’t until the first trailer starts playing that James puts away his phone. His eyes remain glued to the screen. </p><p>About halfway through the movie, Steve felt something brush up against his arm. He looked over to see that James had put his arm up on the armrest between them. Steve tried to ignore the pressure of James’s arm against his, but he couldn’t. This was the first real contact between the two of them, excluding Steve helping him after the fight with Brock. He treasured it, and feared how strange it would feel when James moved his arm away. </p><p>James did move his arm. </p><p>He moved it closer to Steve. Now his hand was over the armrest, hovering over Steve’s. If Steve just raised his hand a little bit, they could hold hands. </p><p>Steve was lost as to what to do. Should he move his hand? Did James want him to move his hand? Or was James completely oblivious to the location of his hand? </p><p>Fuck it. </p><p>He lifted his hand. </p><p>He entwined his fingers with James’s. </p><p>James gave his hand a squeeze and moved their hands to rest comfortably on the arm rest. </p><p>They stayed like that for the rest of the film. Their hands interlocked on the arm rest. Steve wondered if anyone else had noticed. Sam was the closest to them, but Peggy was more likely glancing over at them every so often. </p><p>Steve was scared of what would happen once the credits started rolling. Would James take back his hand? Would they stay how they were? Would James act like nothing happened? Steve wasn’t sure he could handle that. </p><p>While getting lost in the what if’s that were plaguing his thoughts, Steve failed to notice the end of the film. The group got up and exited the theater, gathering in the lobby. Steve noticed that he and James were still holding hands. </p><p>“Did you like the movie?” James asked, bringing Steve back to reality. </p><p>“Yeah. Um. Yeah, it was good.”</p><p>“What did you like best?”</p><p>“Um, the part where the main character did that thing,” Steve answered vaguely, showing he wasn’t really paying attention.</p><p>“That was a good part,” James teased. “Personally, I liked the part in the middle.”</p><p>“And what part was that?”</p><p>“The part where the cute guy sitting next to me held my hand,” James flirted. </p><p>“Really?” Steve asked, blushing. “So the second half of the film must have been great for you.”</p><p>“It was. Honestly, even the credits were enjoyable.”</p><p>“Who likes the credits in a movie? Is this some weird Russian thing? Tasha, do you also enjoy movie credits?” Tony asked, ruining the moment. </p><p>“You’re a dumbass,” Natasha told him. </p><p>“So it’s not a Russian thing? It’s just a James thing. Got it.”</p><p>“You really are a dumbass,” Sam added. “Steve, I know you hate it, but Peggy was telling me earlier that she has never had sushi. We figured it would be fun to take her. Stark May be an idiot, but he has an in at the best sushi place in all of New York.”</p><p>“You all go and have fun. Ma made my favorite stew before she left for work.”</p><p>“I don’t really like sushi either,” James told them. “Do you think your mom made enough for two? If you don’t mind my company, that is.” </p><p>“I wouldn't doubt it. She probably made enough to feed our whole building. You guys go on without us.” </p><p>The group agreed, making their way out of the theater. The ones who were not oblivious gave Steve and James knowing looks. </p><p>Steve and James walked back to Steve's place hand in hand. James spent the whole walk trying to explain the plot of the film and how it fit into the rest of the series because apparently he was a fan. Steve was only half paying to what he was saying. He was more focused on the warmth of James’s hadnin his, and the smile on his lips as he spoke. </p><p>“You didn’t grasp any of that did you?” James asked when they got to the front door. </p><p>“Not a word. But I would be happy to listen to you try again,” Steve answered, unlocking the door. </p><p>“I could think of something much more productive to do with my mouth.”</p><p>“And what would that be?”</p><p>“Eating the stew I was promised. I’m starting to get a little hungry.”</p><p>Steve laughed as he led James to the kitchen. </p><p>“Grab a seat and you will be provided with food.”</p><p>“Aye aye captain.”</p><p>Steve rolled his eyes as he started to heat up the stew over the stove. While he waited, he grabbed a pair of bowls and spoons for them. He stirred it occasionally until it was hot enough to dish out. He brought the bowls over to the table and set them down on the table. </p><p>“This is amazing,” James said after his first bite.</p><p>“I’ll be sure to tell my mom you liked it. She always makes the best soups and stews.”</p><p>“Does she make them often? If she does, expect to see me here for dinner at least once a week.”</p><p>“I’m sure she’d love that. And yeah, she does. I get sick pretty easily and it’s the best thing to eat if you are.”</p><p>“My mom makes a mean borscht that always helps when I’m sick. I can ask her to make it next time you are sick. I mean if you want.”</p><p>“That sounds great. I’ve never had it before. It will also likely be needed in like a week.” </p><p>“I’ll keep my mom on call. I’ll just say,‘hey mom, Stevie is sick and I need your borscht to heal him right up. I can’t take him on a date if he’s stuck in bed.’ Or at least something like that.” </p><p>“You want to take me on a date?”</p><p>“Of course,” James answered, as if it was obvious. “Who wouldn’t want to go on a date with you?”</p><p>“There is a very long list. No one wants to date a small, skinny, unattractive, asthmatic guy who gets sick all the time.”</p><p>“What do you mean unattractive? Stevie you are beautiful. Has no one ever told you that before?” </p><p>“No. Well, my mom has, but everyone else just points out what’s wrong with me.” </p><p>“I now see it as my mission to remind you that you are beautiful and to point out everything that is great about you.”</p><p>“You don’t have to do that.” </p><p>“It’s too late. You’re my mission.” </p><p>“I’m your mission?”</p><p>“Yes. And in most cases, the goal of a mission is to take someone out. Since you are my mission, I have to take you out. It’s just how things work Stevie.”</p><p>“And how exactly are you planning on taking me out?” </p><p>“I feel like ice skating is an efficient way to do that.”</p><p>———</p><p>“This is how I die,” Steve groaned as he laid on his back in the ice rink.</p><p>“Stop being so dramatic Stevie,” James chuckled as he helped him up. </p><p>“I’ve fallen eight time in the last 20 minutes. Why did I think this sounded like a good idea yesterday. I know you said that as your mission, you were supposed to take me out, but I didn’t think you would actually try to kill me.”</p><p>“It’s not my fault you look like Bambi. So adorable, yet you can’t stop falling.” </p><p>“Fight me James.” </p><p>“Are you sure you want that?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Okay, then you leave me no choice. I will now punch you in the face. On the lips. With my lips. </p><p>And with that, James leaned down to press a kiss to Steve’s lips.</p>
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